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Friday, October 28, 2011

The Ultimate All Saints Day Party Post

Updated Oct. 28, 2011
Planning an All Saints Day party? Or just need an excuse to dress up like your favorite heavenly peeps and eat yummy treats? Me, too!

So, here's my Paper Dali guide to a fabulously fun and sweet All Saints Day Party. This post is packed with game ideas, ways to give Halloween candy a Catholic flavor, and ideas for using Paper Dali printables for a party.

Invitations

Pick pictures from the Saints archives, color them up, paste them to construction paper, and you've an inexpensive but creative invitation to send to friends.

Game Ideas
For the past few years, friends and family have gotten together to celebrate All Saints Day with a party. We meet at the park, and each family sponsors a "booth" (a table or just an area set aside for a game). Every family volunteers to facilitate a game and also bring prizes for participants.(Please note: We picked up these ideas through our reading of various online sites and books, so I'm not sure where credit is due. But thanks to the brilliant moms who came up with these ideas.)

St. Peter Fishing Booth
Each child tosses a mini play fishing pole and hooks a toy. You can use a kiddie pool for this. We've had a sibling hide on the opposite side of the booth and pin fun things to the hooks.

7 Deadly Sins Bowling Pins Game
Use a child's play bowling set, label each pin with a deadly sin, get a plastic ball and label it "grace" and then knock down as many sins as you can.

St. Therese Flower Toss
Display a photo of St. Therese of Lisieux. Each participant receives a rose (real, paper or otherwise) to toss to the picture. Whoever's rose is closest wins the prize.

Pin the Halo on the ArchangelA sweeter version of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," participants get to pin a halo on an archangel. (Feel free to use my St. Michael the Archangel drawingfor this game!)

St. Isadore Pumpkin RollEach participant rolls a pumpkin from a designated starting point to a designated finishing line. Whoever gets there first, wins.

St. Christopher Relay RaceParticipants race from a designated starting point to a basket filled with baby dolls (i.e. "baby Jesus") then have to hurry back to the finishing line while carrying the baby doll on their shoulders.

Follow the Straight Path Race
Use some wooden blocks or beams for a fast-paced balancing game. Participants race across the straight path to get to the finishing line first. You can also do an alternate version and use a stopwatch to see which child has the best time across the beam.

St. Martin de Porres Broomstick Relay Race
Set up a starting spot and finishing line, then have the children push an object by using a broom (a symbol associated with St. Martin) to the finishing line. First one there wins.

Saints Ring Toss
Print out pictures of the saints then affix them to sticks then put them in the ground (like garden markers). Have a small hoop (a plastic embroidery hoop works) and the kids can decide which saint to put a hoop around. If they make it, they can get candy and a holy card related to that saint.

Party Food

You can get good ideas from Catholic Cuisine. The gals there do a fab job of creating yummy eats for liturgical feasts. Any post for a saint will do in a pinch for an All Saints Day party.

Creepy Peeper Mix = St. Lucy Cupcakes
Our local dollar store had chocolate eyeballs for sale. I had to have them! They were the perfect cupcake toppers ... and we just called them "St. Lucy Cupcakes."

Gummy Snakes = St. Patrick

Hershey's Kisses = Blessed Miguel Pro (Miguel Pro loved Mexican chocolate, so you can use any chocolate and Blessed Miguel would be the perfect patron saint for it!)

Candy Rings and Necklaces = Any Catholic king or queen (Think St. Wenceslaus, St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, etc.)

Candy Pumpkins and Candy Corn = St. Isidore the Farmer

Candy Fangs = St. Appolonia (the patron saint of dentists)

Sweethearts (or any Valentine's Day candy) = St. Valentine

Swedish Fish = St. Peter

Red Hots = St. Florian (patron saint of firefighters)

Pumpkin Carvings

After reading this devotion for pumpkin carving (yes, really), I thought it was cute enough that it made me want to carve a pumpkin ... and talk about good things while doing so. You can find some Christian-themed pumpkin carving patterns at:

Hope your All Saints Day celebration is glittery fun and yummy with dashes of the holy, too. And if you're still hankering for some All Saints Day celebration ideas (or just feel like being a looky-lou), check out the great ideas from various bloggers atCatholic Icing's All Saints Day Link Up.

wow. this is a ghreat post full of resources. Oh I love that pumpkin prayer. and of course your saints dolls will be in use here!! I saw Xhonane's all saints display (which you posted about yesterday) -- it is amazing. and we will try that here.

Hi Vee~ This is my dream party! WOW, thanks for all of the splendid ideas!!!!!!! What a fabulous resource for years to come. Maybe I'll plan now for next year;-) Thank you bunches for your kindness and generosity. God has blessed billions of us with your creativity!